The present invention relates to an article for preventing deposition and accumulation of particulate matter or materials contained in a particulate process stream educing through an eductor member, and more particularly, to a toner particle anti-fouling article for use in toner particle processing and handling equipment having vertical or horizontal eductor transport means.
It is known to use vertical and horizontal eductor transport means for the transport and handling of particulate materials, for example, as used in the transport, size reduction, classification, and the addition of additives in the manufacture of toner particles. A problem associated with eductor transport means for handling particulate materials is the deposition and accumulation of particulate matter within the eductor, and in particular, in the vicinity of an eductor assembly join or joint. The deposition and accumulation of particulate material in eductors can result in decreased particle flow rates, changes in composition, and changes in particle size distribution properties of the educing particulate material. Excessive accumulation of deposits may require terminating the process stream and operation, for the purpose subsequent cleaning, and which cleaning is costly and counter-productive.
The following patents may be of interest as background to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,223, to Cipolla issued Sep. 15, 1992, discloses a developer dispenser that has a substantially enclosed rigid housing with a side wall and a pair of end walls, an opening in the side wall, and a flexible developer mover disposed within the housing. The developer mover has one edge pivotably secured to the side wall, a second edge in sliding contact with the side wall, one surface facing the side wall and the other surface facing the opening and engaging the developer in the housing. The developer mover bends flexibly about an axis parallel to the side wall to move the surface facing the side wall toward the wall and away from the opening. When developer is contained in the housing between the developer mover and opening, the weight of the developer deflects the developer mover away from the opening. In turn, the developer mover resiliently urges the developer toward the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,324 to Ono et al., issued Jan. 18, 1994, discloses a detachable toner cartridge for use in an electrophotographic printer which includes an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder contacting each other and having respective toner discharge outlets that can be overlapped with each other by turning the inner cylinder relative to the outer cylinder so as to discharge toner. The inner cylinder is pressed against the outer cylinder in the circumferential direction to bring the cylinders into close contact to prevent toner leakage. The toner cartridge does not require high accuracy in the manufacture thereof.
The aforementioned patents and publications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The present invention provides in embodiments a solution to the related problems of particulate accumulations or buildup within tubular or eductor transport means and the accompanying negative productivity impacts. The prior art apparently does not address and solve the aforementioned problems as in the present invention by employing a passive resilient liner article.